The forgotten victory

Few American soldiers were aware of where the Korean Peninsula was when they were sent to fight alongside the South against the invading North. Six decades after the war ended in an armistice, however, it is being recognised as important as any conflict the US has engaged in.

US Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel noted at the exhibit’s dedication ceremony that it had “the most significant effect and consequences”, as South Korea still plays a key role as an ally maintaining peace, stability and security in the region. In addition to the consolidation of the Seoul-Washington alliance, South Korea’s economic prosperity and democratisation gives a strong case for changing the moniker of the “Forgotten War” to the “Forgotten Victory”. South Korea’s success is all the more valuable when contrasted with the iron-fisted rule of North Korea by the Kim dynasty over the past six decades, which has starved millions of people to death and threatened regional security with nuclear weapons programmes.

In a repeat of its false claim, the North on Sunday blamed the US for starting the Korean War and discarding the Armistice Agreement that halted the conflict in July 1953. The denunciation by the organ of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party was preceded by a rare press conference called by its UN ambassador in New York last Friday, in which he threatened that another military conflict was possible at any time, as long as Washington remains hostile toward Pyongyang. The envoy called on the US to move toward disbanding the UN Command and concluding a formal peace treaty to replace the ceasefire accord.

The North’s latest arguments appear reflect its frustration with the cold response from the US to its recent proposal for high-level bilateral talks. Pyongyang must realise that it can no longer resist international pressure to de-nuclearise, if it is to sit with major powers to discuss a deal to enable the impoverished regime to avoid collapse. The blood alliance with China, which fought alongside the North during the Korean War, is being replaced by ordinary ties, with Beijing seeking to forge a new type of “great power’ relationship with Washington, which sees Pyongyang’s de-nuclearisation as a key spot for cooperation.

While the North still remains dangerous and unpredictable under the rule of Kim Jong-un, the third-generation leader from the Kim family, probably the most significant momentum in decades is building toward a set of talks that might change the post-war framework for regional security.

This delicate situation calls on South Koreans to renew their awareness of the historical meaning and consequences of the war. In this view, it is undesirable and worrisome that the war is becoming forgotten among them. A survey conducted by a local pollster at the request of the government showed that 35.8 per cent of adults and 52.7 per cent of teenagers did not know the year the war broke out. A separate poll released earlier this month found that nearly 70 per cent of high-school students believed the war was started by the South’s invasion of the North. With this scant and inaccurate perception, few people might know there are about 500 South Korean prisoners of war still alive in the North.

Before it is too late, efforts should be put in to ensure all South Koreans have a correct understanding of the war, as a foundation for moving toward a new phase of inter-Korean relations.